Danone North America, which has headquarters in Broomfield, recently announced it would donate $1.5 million to food banks and food rescue organizations, including Colorado-based Community Food Share and We Don’t Waste, and local food bank managers say the donation will help as they respond to a growing number requests for help.

Danone announced the donation March 25 in response to emerging food needs related to the coronavirus global pandemic. The company said $300,000 of the $1.5 million donation is in product donations. Danone North America produces brands such as Light & Fit, Horizon Organic, Silk, So Delicious and Two Good.

Kim Ruotsala, executive director of Community Food Share, said the nonprofit is seeing a sharp increase in local need for food during the novel coronavirus pandemic. When schools closed statewide, the nonprofit has its single highest distribution day at the Louisville facility, she said, including individuals and families who were visiting the food bank for the first time.

“This donation from Danone North America, our partner of more than 20 years, will help ensure we can keep food flowing into the community,” she said.

Broomfield FISH, which is among the nonprofits Community Food Share works with, gave away more than 80,000 pounds of food over the past two weeks, Executive Director Dayna Scott said. FISH is purchasing food in bulk at a discounted rate. Staff and volunteers on March 17 began distributing emergency boxes to clients once a week via a drive-up model. As of Wednesday FISH has given out about 2,000 boxes, which are filled according to family size.

Food received from Community Food Share makes up a third of the food FISH distributes, she said. The nonprofit places weekly food orders from the Louisville food bank, she said.

“Even though they have increased their ordering limits by 20%, we are giving out nearly 40% more food during the pandemic,” Scott said.

FISH has also seen a surge in new families seeking utility and rent assistance, Scott said, as well as families who were previous clients and are now struggling again.

“We have fielded more than double the usual calls for emergency financial assistance — mostly rent, but some utility,” Scott said, adding that since mid-March FISH has had 36 such requests.

About 75% of those have been specifically COVID-19 related, she said, and FISH is working with Broomfield Heath and Human Services to coordinate with the Bridge the Gap program, which provides rental assistance to residents who have lost wages because of the pandemic

The food bank also is coordinating with Meals on Wheels and Easy Ride to deliver food boxes to seniors and people with disabilities.

FISH is no longer accepting individual donations at its 6 Garden Center building.

“By (this) week, we expect to have large donation stations at several grocery stores for our most critical need items — cereal, oatmeal, canned meat, etc.,” Scott said. “That way if people do venture out to get their groceries, they can easily pick up an extra box/can to donate to FISH.”